1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to water amusement attractions and rides. More particularly, the invention relates to a water fountain system and method in which participants may be actively involved in operating the water fountain system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water recreation facilities have become a popular form of entertainment in the past few decades. Conventional water attractions at amusement parks typically involve using gravity to make water rides work, or they involve spraying water to create a fountain. The water rides that use gravity typically involve water flowing from a high elevation to a low elevation along a water ride surface. These gravity induced rides are generally costly to construct, and they usually have a relatively short ride time. Conventional fountains in water parks are generally passive attractions for people because guests of the parks usually cannot control the water flow in these fountains.
One water attraction that allows guests to become more actively involved with water spraying objects is described fully in U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,048 to Briggs. This attraction relates to an endoskeletal or exoskeletal participatory water play structure whereupon participants can manipulate valves to cause controllable changes in water effects that issue from various water forming devices.